A soft, gentle whinny from the young unicorn echoed through the Forbidden Forest.
Lucien tucked away his wand and carefully lifted the foal, placing it in front of Seleneia. The toxins in Seleneia's body had been mostly cleared, and her wounds were healing noticeably faster.
She lowered her head, tenderly licking her foal, clear tears welling in the corners of her eyes.
Lucien set the foal down on the ground. Its legs wobbled as it tried to stand, stumbling a few times before finally finding its balance. The little unicorn nuzzled close to its mother, its large, glistening eyes fixed on Lucien, filled with unmistakable affection.
Seleneia stood tall but slowly bowed her head, gently pressing her spiral horn against the back of Lucien's left hand. A faint silver-white glow detached from her horn, coiling around his skin.
She stepped back, making way.
Asterion approached, repeating the gesture. A brighter, more radiant glow flowed from his straighter, longer horn, transferring to Lucien's hand. The two shimmering auras intertwined, merged, and fused, forming a delicate spiral horn totem on his skin.
The totem was so faint it was only visible under moonlight, radiating an indescribable sense of purity and serenity.
"The unicorn's blessing…" Newt murmured, almost uncertainly, after the process was complete.
Hearing this, Lucien glanced at the pattern on his hand and asked curiously, "Mr. Newt, what's the unicorn's blessing?"
Dumbledore, too, awaited Newt's explanation. When it came to magical creatures, this old friend was practically a living encyclopedia.
Newt's gaze shifted between Lucien's hand and the unicorn family, his tone carrying a mix of relief and wonder.
"Unicorns rarely interact with humans, and when they do, they're more likely to approach women—it's just their nature, except in rare cases."
Newt gave Lucien an odd look. He recalled that this young man had already bonded closely with unicorns, even noticing signs of Seleneia's pregnancy. Clearly, he'd been observing this very unicorn.
"But even if a unicorn allows a human to get close, they'd never let anyone touch their horn. It's an absolute boundary. If someone earns enough trust for a unicorn to willingly touch them with its horn, they receive a blessing—a magical one."
Newt paused, then explained further, "The blessing has three clear effects: the Tongue of Beasts, the Aura of Purity, and the Heart of Healing."
"The Tongue of Beasts makes animals feel drawn to you and lets you communicate with them effortlessly. The Aura of Purity repels filth—dust, blood, and the like won't stick to you. It also gives you stronger resistance to curses and toxins. And the Heart of Healing enhances the effects of healing magic, both when you cast it and when you receive it."
Lucien's mind raced as he processed Newt's words. The Tongue of Beasts overlapped somewhat with the animal affinity he already had as the Qilin's master, but seamless communication was a nice bonus. Sure, Luster could translate, or he could shift into his Animagus form to talk with animals, but he was also planning to raise a dragon. Direct conversation would definitely make that easier.
The Aura of Purity's resistance to curses and toxins was a game-changer. If he ever faced such dangers, it could buy him precious time to react. Plus, repelling dirt? Did that mean no more scrubbing or cleaning? That could free up time for studying and reading. Might be a handy little life hack, he thought, eager to test it out.
As for the Heart of Healing, boosting both his ability to heal others and the effects of healing on himself was incredibly useful.
The unicorn's blessing was seriously impressive.
"Mr. Newt, can I try out the blessing's effects?" Lucien asked.
"Of course! Honestly, I'm curious too. I've only read about the unicorn's blessing in old texts—this is my first time seeing it in person," Newt replied.
Lucien turned to the unicorn family and spoke softly, "This little one will need ongoing treatment. Would it be alright if she stayed with me for a while? I promise I'll take good care of her."
No translation from Luster was needed. Asterion and Seleneia understood Lucien perfectly. Two voices resonated in his mind, clear and direct:
"We're deeply grateful for your help."
"You've given our child a new chance at life. It's her fortune that you're willing to continue her care."
It felt similar to communicating in his Animagus animal form, but this was undeniably smoother.
Lucien had only partially repaired the foal's magical pathways using magical structuring techniques. Stabilizing them fully would require charms and potions over time.
"Oh, one more thing—would you mind naming her?" the unicorns asked.
Lucien didn't hesitate. A name? What would be fitting?
A faint glimmer caught his eye, and he glanced up to see the first pale streaks of dawn breaking on the horizon.
"How about Aurora?" he said.
"It means dawn and new beginnings."